US v. Trump
On this week’s episode, Bill and Phil take a deep dive on Donald Trump; exploring the recent indictment of the former president, his prospects for reelection, and what a second Trump presidency might look like.
How Things Almost Ended
Bill and Phil break down the attempted coup in Russia, reflect on audio of Donald Trump discussing a classified document on Iran, assess the significance of the Supreme Court’s rejection of the independent state legislature theory, and close with a look at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s visit to the White House.
How Things End
Bill and Phil ponder what the end of the war in Ukraine might look like, assess whether the growing list of indictments is having any impact on support for Donald Trump, debate whether disinformation is in fact free speech, and close with a look at the San Antonio wax museum which had to pull the Trump exhibit because people kept punching it in the face.
If Even Half of it is True, He’s Toast
On this week’s episode, Bill and Phil break down the federal indictment of former president Donald Trump, examine the violent rhetoric used in Trump’s defense, discuss the Supreme Court’s ruling on redistricting in Alabama, and close with a look at the use of deepfakes in a U.S. election.
Trumpian Dissonance
On this week’s episode, Bill and Phil explore the psychology that explains the appeal of Donald Trump, reflect on Biden’s legacy following the debt ceiling agreement, discuss the return of Soviet-style “snitching” to Russia, and close with a look at the impeachment of the Texas attorney general.
The Stories We Tell
Bill and Phil examine some unconventional developments in the Ukraine war, take a look at a Texas law that would mandate the 10 Commandments in every classroom, discuss how US policy towards China shifted from decoupling to de-risking, and explore what a recent comment by Justice Neil Gorsuch suggests about his views on civil liberties.
Trump’s Town Hall
On this week’s episode, Bill and Phil reflect on CNN’s decision to host Donald Trump for a town hall, explore nuclear strategy in dealing with Russia in Ukraine, discuss the significance of efforts by Ukraine to erase Russian culture, and close with a look at Republican Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and ponder whether he is the future of Trumpism.
E. Jean Carroll Wins
Bill and Phil offer reactions to the verdict in the E Jean Carroll case and the coronation of King Charles, then move to a speed round with the theme of “Will domestic politics lead to the end of America?”, including a discussion of the debt ceiling debate, Florida’s rejection of textbooks, and the new bipartisan consensus on economic nationalism.
Ethics Schmethics
On this week’s episode, Bill and Phil discuss the question of ethics reform at the Supreme Court, reflect on how China’s expansion of nuclear weapons changes global nuclear strategy, examine the case for why Trump could win the presidency, and close by pondering what to make of Trump’s curious pronunciation of Vladimir Lenin.
Decision Time
Bill and Phil take a deep dive into Joe Biden’s announcement that he is running for re-election, then we move to speed round where all the topics connect to poor or bad decision making, including Tucker Carlson getting fired, Russia’s recruitment effort calling for “real men,” China’s recent diplomatic blunder, Samuel Alito’s dissent in the abortion pill case, and why the My Pillow Guy is out $5 million
Proxy Wars
On this week’s episode, Bill and Phil discuss whether the United States has quietly slipped into a proxy war with Russia, reflect on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Accords in Northern Ireland, discuss why U.S. politicians love Ireland so much, and offer our condolences for what the Politics Lab is calling the official death of Twitter.
A Wacky Week
Bill and Phil discuss newly released documents about the Cuban Missile Crisis and what they can teach us about that historic incident as well as the current war in Ukraine, then we shift to look at the “Wacky Week of Politics” and try to figure out why Clarence Thomas is hanging out with a billionaire in Indonesia, why the Manhattan District Attorney is suing Jim Jordan, why the Tennessee legislature expelled two black lawmakers, and finally why Kid Rock was shooting cases of Bud Light in response to the company’s transgender activism.
A History-Making Arraignment
Bill and Phil reflect on the indictment of former president, Donald Trump, discuss why constitutional crises and political violence could soon be the norm in the U.S., and close with a look at the way in which the Supreme Court is increasingly shaping the nature of U.S. foreign policy.
High Profile Indictments
Bill and Phil ponder arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, reflect on the 20th anniversary of the Iraq war, examine Trump’s embrace of white nationalist rhetoric in his campaign videos and close with a look at our favorite food fails by politicians.
Bullish on Democracy
On this week’s episode, Bill and Phil reflect on some optimistic new data about the future of democracy, discuss developments in Ukraine, and close by exploring the implication of China playing peacemaker with Iran and Saudi Arabia.
I Am Your Retribution
On this week’s episode, Bill and Phil explore the dark language in Trump’s CPAC speech, discuss the changing nature of war, ponder whether US politicians have fallen prey to groupthink in becoming dangerously hawkish on China, and close by rating Trump’s nicknames for Ron DeSantis.
One Year at War
Bill and Phil reflect on the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, discuss recent revelations that Fox News hosts and executives privately expressed disbelief about Trump’s stolen elections claims yet continued to promote those lies on the air, and close with a look at a recent Supreme Court case that could literally break the internet.
UFOs Everywhere!
This week, Bill and Phil debate whether UFOs really exist and why the US government keeps shooting them down, discuss a new angry and disruptive ethos within the Republican Party, and ponder some new data suggesting that all Americans, Republicans and Democrats, want a strong, anti-democratic leader.
Balloonacy!
On this week’s episode, Bill and Phil reflect on the relevance of the State of the Union speech, discuss the politics of the spy balloon, assess the dire state of the British economy, and close with a game of “What’s More Stupid…Truth Social Edition”.